In a Group of Strangers
by My Harp for God
Summary: On a cold, rainy day in Alice Academy, a pair of men break into the school undetected. They're stopped, but not before they cause some damage. Luka ends up with a slight concussion, but Mikan goes away with a large gash on her temple, resulting in several stitches. She doesn't seem herself, either, and her friends are wondering if they'll ever see the real Mikan again.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not own Gakuen Alice. In this fanfiction, I'm going to be using different fonts for certain characters and during certain events that happen. Here are the fonts I will be using, and who/when I will be using them on:**

Mikan and others (first part): I will use this font during the time when Mikan is… well, just so I don't spoil anything, I'll use this when Mikan is simply herself.

**Natsume: when I use this font, it will be entirely from Natsume's point of view.**

_Mikan and others (second part): I will use this font when Mikan is not quite herself._

**Just to make sure things don't get confusing, I'm going to put that in the intros to the chapters of this fanfiction. End A/N.**

* * *

It had been a long week. Mikan had fallen asleep in math class again, but thankfully a spit wad had startled her awake before Jin-Jin could notice. She had a ton of school work and studying to do, and after a long night she finally finished it all (with Hotaru's help, of course). She was very happy when Sunday came and nobody had to go to class! Over the week, she had been planning a little party for her friends, just to celebrate not having any classes. So, when she woke up to the warm sun shining in her face and the birds chirping away, she headed straight to the cafeteria to get some breakfast.

"Hey Hotaru!" Mikan chimed, as she plopped her tray of food next to Hotaru's.

"Hmph." She replied.

"How's it going? Did you sleep well?"

"Hmph." She said again.

"Fine, don't talk to me," Mikan said, her mouth full of food.

"Good morning, Mikan-chan," Pres said timidly, "may I sit next to you?"

"Sure! Go ahead!" she replied, spewing bits of food from her mouth.

"Baka," Hotaru said as she hit Mikan with one of her guns.

"Oooow! Hotaru, why'd you hit me?!"

"Because you were talking with your mouth full."

"Humph, I still don't think you should've hit me," Mikan said, her eyes welling with tears.

Suddenly a new voice arrived. "Now, now, calm down, are you seriously going to fight this early in the morning?"

Mikan gasped. "Luca-pyon! When did you get here?"

"Just now."

"Oh… okay. Hey, guys, are you coming to my party?"

"Where else would we go?" Hotaru asked sarcastically.

"I'll take _that_ as a yes." Mikan huffed.

"Oh, right, it's today, isn't it?" Pres said.

"Yup! So are you coming?"

"Of course!" he replied.

"Great! I guess everyone's coming then."

"Who is going to be there? I know Hotaru and Pres will be, but is there anyone else?" Luca asked.

"Yup, there's Mindreader-kun, Fox-Eye-kun," she listed on her fingers, "Sumire-chan, Anna-chan, Nonoko-chan, and, umm… I think that's it!"

"What about Natsume-kun?" Hotaru asked, nudging Mikan with her elbow and getting a teasing grin on her face, "didn't you invite him?"

Mikan sighed. "Hotaru, you know why he's not coming. He's been gone for almost two and a half weeks now. If I knew where he was and knew he was okay, then I would've invited him." Her eyes welled with tears again. She didn't know why she was so worried about him. Lately, whenever she thought of him, she got this strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. What did it mean? (What a block head. She mixes up love with an upset stomach? Hotaru, get your baka gun.)

It took a couple of seconds before the awkward silence was broken. Mikan finished up her breakfast, said goodbye to everyone, and told them to meet her at her room, 8 PM sharp. After she dropped off her tray, she headed up to her room to get ready for the party.

Pretty soon, everything was set out and ready. It was 7:55 PM, and now Mikan just had to wait for everyone to arrive.

Hotaru was the first to come. She walked in right at 8 o'clock, and even though she didn't seem to care about the party, she did bring a bag of chips and a board game.

"There better be party bags," she mumbled as she set the stuff on the table.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Hotaru," Mikan teased.

Soon after Hotaru came Luca-pyon with his white rabbit, then Pres, Anna-chan and Nonoko-chan, Sumire, Fox-Eye-kun, and Mindreader-kun last. Each brought an assortment of things, from Minnie donuts to pop. Once everyone had arrived, there was a feast of junk food on Mikan's table. You could almost see Mindreader-kun and Fox-Eye-kun drooling.

For the next hour, the kids played Twister, Hotaru's board game, and cards, all the while drinking pop and snacking on chips, donuts, Pocky, and an assortment of other snacks. It wasn't until dark that the real fun began.

It was 9:30. For the past half hour, they had just been talking and joking and messing around. Pres had left at 9, saying he had to go to sleep so that he could get enough rest for tomorrow, and fifteen minutes later, Anna-chan and Nonoko-chan left, saying they had homework to finish up. All that was left was Mikan, Hotaru, Luka-pyon, Mindreader, Fox-Eye, and Sumire.

The sun had set at around 8:30, so by now it was pitch black outside. Sumire was the one who had suggested that they play Truth or Dare.

Sitting in a circle in the middle of Mikan's room, Fox-Eye asked, "So, who goes first?"

"I will," Mindreader said, "Sumire, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Sumire huffed.

"Okay then… is it true that you snuck into Hotaru's room a couple weeks ago and stole one of her gadgets to take pictures of Natsume while he slept?"

"That's not fair!" Sumire screeched, "You're not allowed to read other people's minds!"

"So that's why I couldn't find…" Hotaru grumbled. "Oh, you'll be getting it later," She thought.

"Just answer the question," Mindreader said.

"…"

"What was that, Sumire? We couldn't hear you."

"Yes, I did, okay?! Now can we just drop it?"

"Okay fine," Mikan said, "Hotaru, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Is it true that you have something that can take pictures of Natsume while he's sleeping?"

"Yes."

"Ooh, Hotaru, what are you planning?" Mikan teased.

"Oh shut up." Hotaru replied, shooting Mikan with her Baka Gun.

"Ow…"

"Anyway, who's next?" Luka asked, "I think it is Hotaru, right? Go on, Hotaru."

"Hmph. Mikan, truth or dare?"

"I choose dare."

"Okay then, I dare you to go outside into the woods to Bear's house. To prove that you were there, you have to bring back one of his blocks of wood."

Everyone gasped.

"Wh-wh-what?!" Mikan squeaked, "I have to go out_ there_ in the middle of the _night_, when it's _pitch black?!_"

"That is correct."

"But Hotaru-!"

"No buts, you have to do it."

Mikan sniffed then headed to the door to put on her jacket. Before she went out you could hear her mumbling, "Hotaru, my best friend, making me go out in the cold, to Bear's house, in the middle of the night, when it's cold and dark and scary, and in the middle of the night…"

"Serves her right for asking me that question." Hotaru grumped.

"Well this is going to be interesting," Mindreader and Fox-Eye said.

"_I hope she's gonna be okay_..." Luka thought.

"Oh, she'll be fine," Mindreader said.

"W-what?" Luka stuttered.

"Oh, c'mon Luka, we _all_ know how you feel about her," Hotaru said coyly.

"What?" was all he said again, his face turning bright pink.

While everyone teased him, Luka's bunny held up a little sign.

"What's this?" Hotaru asked, and started to read aloud. "I love Saku-"

"HEY!" Luka yelled and grabbed the little sign away, stuffing it into the trash.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: a quick thank you to those who read/reviewed/followed the first chapter. i appreciate it so much!**

Mikan and others (first part): I will use this font during the time when Mikan is… well, just so I don't spoil anything, I'll use this when Mikan is simply herself.

**Natsume: when I use this font, it will be entirely from Natsume's point of view.**

_Mikan and others (second part): I will use this font when Mikan is not quite herself._

* * *

It was cold and dark outside. Mikan was glad she had grabbed her coat before leaving. Without it she surely would have frozen to death by now.

"That darn old Hotaru," Mikan mumbled, "Making me go out in the middle of the night. Why do I have to do this? Bear will surely put up a fight if I try to take one of his wood blocks. I'll never make it back alive! At the most I'll probably have every bone in my body broken. Hotaru, I'm scared!" She stopped walking and shook her head.

"Now, now, calm down, I need to not think about Hotaru and hurry up! Then I can go back to my friends and enjoy the rest of the evening."

By now, she had reached the edge of the woods. Gulping down her fears, she marched in, trying not to look into the shadows. She kept walking, trying not to think of what could be creeping along in the bushes.

All of a sudden, there was a snap and a rustle. Mikan screeched and backed away from the sound, falling backwards on her butt. She watched as a bush in front of her started to shake and quiver.

"Oh, no, it's Bear! He knows what I'm trying to do and he's already come for me!" Mikan shrieked, to scared to move. But just when she thought that Bear would jump out of the bush, a small fox face popped out instead, its eyes staring up at her.

"Na… Natsume?" she ventured, then scolded herself for being so foolish. "Why in the world did I think that fox was Natsume? All though he has the eyes and the attitude, I know he could never change into a fox." Standing up again, she walked on; scaring the fox and making it run off into the trees.

"_Although, someone could've turned him into one…_" she thought, worry starting to build in her gut. "_Is that where he's gone to?_" she sighed and looked up at the sky, the stars twinkling their merriment. "Natsume. Oh, Natsume, where are you? Where have you gone? I… I miss you. Won't you come home, to where the stars shine down on this little place? You're under this same sky, I know it, I just _know_ it. Don't you miss us, Natsume? Don't you miss… me?" It was only then that she noticed the tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, Natsume, where are you, where are you?!" she cried, plopping down into the dirt, pulling up her knees and wrapping her arms around them, sobbing. She didn't notice the person creeping up behind her, silent as a fox, dirt smudged on his face, his hair tangled, his shorts torn and stained.

**I watched as she walked towards me, mumbling, fear written on her small face. She was so easy to read, that girl. Dense, too. Oh man was she dense. Not to mention that she was an idiot as well. She could barely do anything right school related. And yet, I liked her. There was just something about her that… that…**

**She walked past me into the woods, still terrified. I chuckled inwardly as I looked down at her from my tree, so oblivious as to who was watching her. I climbed down, slowly and carefully, for my strength had not yet completely returned and I still had cuts and bruises to tend to afterwards. I'd have to worry about them later, though. I couldn't just leave her out here alone, she could get into trouble, which she was probably doing just now.**

**I crept along, staying close to the underbrush, trying not to make too much noise. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice.**

**As I walked on, I suddenly came upon a small fox. Startling it and myself, I jumped back into the bushes, snapping and breaking twigs. The fox ran off, and I heard a scream. Crawling on my hands and knees, I peeked through some leaves to see her, sitting in the dirt, staring wide eyed at the fox I had just scared.**

"**Na-Natsume?" she whispered, her face lighting with hope.**

"**Crud," I thought, "She knows I'm here." I was about to come out of the bushes, defeated, when I noticed that she was still staring at the fox. "Wait… she thinks I'm the fox?" I smirk inwardly, "what an idiot."**

**She stood up again and the fox ran off. Sighing, she looked up at the sky, staring at the stars, a pained look on her face. As to why, I have no idea, until she started to speak.**

**She completely threw me off with what she said. The first thing she did say was my name, and she said it in such a way that made me think she wasn't so dense after all. That maybe she did notice me.**

**She talked about missing me and wanting me to come back. She seemed to be talking to the sky, willing it to say something when she asked it if I missed her.**

**It was when she sank to the ground, sobbing, huddled in a ball, that I seemed to lose something.**

**I had kept my heart under so much pressure to keep my feelings from being seen that, when I saw her huddled there in the dirt, I completely lost myself and they broke free from my constraints; my heart, feeling lighter than it ever had, soared into the starry night sky.**

**I quietly stepped out from behind the bushes and, not making a sound, I walked up to her.**

All of a sudden, Mikan felt arms wrap around her.

**I hugged her from behind.**

Her muscles tensed; she was surprised at first and a little scared, until he spoke to her.

**She was surprised, I could tell, but when I spoke to her she instantly relaxed.**

"Mikan," he said.

"**Mikan," I murmured.**

"Natsume!" she gasped, hope and relief filling her voice.

**I smiled slightly. "Yeah, it's me."**

"I thought…" Mikan started, clutching the hands and arms were around her waist.

"**You thought what?" I finished.**

"I thought you… I thought that… you weren't going to come back…" she blushed, hearing the foolishness in her words.

"**Really? Why did you think that?"**

"Because… because you were gone for so _long_… two and a half weeks is a really long time."

"**I know. But you waited for me, didn't you?"**

"… Yeah."

**Smiling sadly, I said, "I have to go," and, untangling myself from her grip, stood up to leave.**

"Wait, Natsume-!" she cried, standing and whipping around to face him.

**I turned to look at her. She gasped.**

"Natsume, you're bleeding!"

"**What?" I look down to see that some of the cuts on my arms and legs have started to bleed again.**

"We need to take care of those," she said, starting to feel worried. "How did you get those anyway?"

"**Don't worry, I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me." I started to turn away again but was stopped when she grabbed my hand.**

"Are you sure? You don't seem to well. You look a little pale…"

"**I'm fine, really. You're so persistent," I joked slightly.**

She sighed. "Fine, you win. I have to go somewhere anyway. I have something I need to do. Will you be at school tomorrow?"

"**Probably."**

"... Alright." She faltered, concern written on her face. Biting her lower lip, she mumbled, "Bye, Natsume."

"… **Bye."**

Feeling cold on the outside but strangely warm on the inside, Mikan walked on down the path to Bear's home. "_I'll have to hurry back once I get the wood. I've been out for a while… I hope they're not worried about me_."

**I watched Mikan go. When she finally disappeared from view, I made sure she was out of hearing range before I let out the coughs that I had been holding back. Wiping the blood off my hand in some damp grass, I headed back to my room, tired and completely worn out. When I got back, I forced myself to at least clean some of my cuts. When I thought it to be good enough, I threw myself on the bed and fell into a restless sleep, dreams of Mikan filling my head.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Mikan and others (first part): I will use this font during the time when Mikan is… well, just so I don't spoil anything, I'll use this when Mikan is simply herself.

**Natsume: when I use this font, it will be entirely from Natsume's point of view.**

_Mikan and others (second part): I will use this font when Mikan is not quite herself._

* * *

Mikan walked on down the path, no longer worried about the dark or anything that could be lurking in the shadows. Her thoughts were completely focused on Natsume:

"He looks different, that Natsume. He seems so… tired and worn out. He was so pale… where did he get those cuts? I hope he's gonna be okay..."

She was so occupied with her thoughts that she didn't even notice that she had arrived at Bear's house.

She looked up from the dirt path and, seeing where she was, she freaked.

"Crud!" she said, and dove into some bushes. After a couple seconds of silence, she peeked out from the bushes. Nothing happened.

"Okay," she thought, "Bear isn't out here yet, so all I have to do is be really quiet and careful and get the wood!"

Walking on tip toes up to the house, she slowly… _slowly…_ reached out to take a small piece of wood from the very top of the pile Bear had so neatly stacked. Carefully and daintily, she picked it up. Nothing happened. She sighed in relief and slowly backed away from the pile. (Idiot)

So of course she would crash into Bear's fire pit, knocking over a big, black cooking pot. With a thump, clang, and crash, Mikan landed in the burnt wood, getting soot on her skirt. The cooking pot now sat upside down a few feet away where it had landed after Mikan had knocked it over. She sat there, wide eyed, sure that she was going to die then and there.

Not wasting any more time, she sprang out of the pit and ran like heck into the woods and back to her room, frantically clutching the small wood block.

When she finally got back she slammed the door behind her, getting a harsh "Be quiet!" from Sumire. The five of them, Hotaru, Luka, Mindreader, Fox-Eye, and Sumire, where watching a movie on Mikan's small TV. It didn't even seem like they were worried about her. By now, it was around 10:15.

"Did you get the wood?" Hotaru asked, not even taking her eyes from the screen.

"Yeah, I got it." Mikan replied, almost in daze.

"Lemme see it, then."

Mikan sighed and handed her the wood. Hotaru seemed satisfied, and went back to watching the movie.

Mikan, hungry, tired, and dirty, grabbed some chips and went to sit down with her friends. She was about to sit next to Hotaru in her arm chair when she realized that there wasn't any more room. Mikan was only a one star, so she was very lucky that she had gotten the nice arm chair she had now, but at the moment, she couldn't enjoy it because Hotaru and, surprisingly enough, Luka, were taking up the entire thing. And it wasn't a very big chair. The two were squeezed together, packed in like sardines. (Ooh la la!)

"What happened here?" Mikan asked, eyeing the two suspiciously.

"Nothing important, now be quiet." Hotaru barked.

"Okay, okay, I can take a hint." She replied.

Walking over to Mindreader, she asked him if there were any more fold out chairs.

"Nope. Me, Fox-Eye, and Sumire got the only three."

Mikan sighed. "I guess I'll be sitting on the floor then…" she thought, and plunked down on the wood flooring in front of the armchair.

After the movie ended, Sumire said a huffy goodbye and left. Fox-Eye-kun left as well, which left Mikan, Hotaru, Luca, and Mindreader to themselves.

"… So, now what?" Luca asked.

"I dunno." Mikan said.

They sat there for a few awkward moments.

"Well, since it seems like the party is basically over, I will be leaving." Hotaru said, and walked out of the room.

Silence reigned.

"'Mikan is so cute.' " a voice piped up.

"What?" Mikan said, blushing.

"Oh, nothing, just broad casting what's on Luka's mind." Mindreader-kun said, leaving before Luka could sock him in the arm.

"Luka, do you really think that?" Mikan asked, still blushing furiously.

"Um… well… uh… yes…" Luka stuttered.

Mikan's heart started to race. The only other person who'd ever called her cute was Hotaru, but that was different. This time, it was coming from a boy. Luka, to be exact.

"Uh… Th-thank you for the compliment, but"–Mikan started, but was interrupted by Luka.

"Don't say it. Please, just don't say it. Not yet at least."

And with that, Luka left, leaving Mikan sitting alone on her bedroom floor.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Mikan and others (first part): I will use this font during the time when Mikan is… well, just so I don't spoil anything, I'll use this when Mikan is simply herself.

**Natsume: when I use this font, it will be entirely from Natsume's point of view.**

_Mikan and others (second part): I will use this font when Mikan is not quite herself._

* * *

**When I woke the next morning, I was groggy and sore all over. Stumbling into the bathroom, I finished cleaning the rest of my cuts, then trudged back and sat on my bed.**

**It had been so good to see Mikan last night, to know that she was well and okay. The only problem was she wasn't "okay." I could tell she worried about me, and that if I didn't show up for class that morning, she would worry herself over me even further. I couldn't let that happen. **

**"The idiot…" I mumbled to myself, "If she didn't worry so much about me, then I wouldn't have to worry about making sure ****_she_**** didn't worry; I could actually get some ****_sleep_****…"**

**Changing out of my torn and dirty uniform (which I had slept in), I found another clean one in my drawer. I hurriedly combed my fingers through my hair, not really caring if it was tangled or messy, and headed towards the door.**

**When I opened it though, I found someone standing in my way: one of the kids from the Dangerous Abilities Class.**

**"We're having another meeting. If we don't see you there in 10 minutes, there will be consequences." He said curtly, then tromped down the hallway and turned the corner.**

**"We'll see about that…" I mumbled, and then headed to class.**

**When I got there, I went to the back and slipped into my seat.**

**"Natsume, you're back!" Luka said, looking relieved. "You were gone for a while. What happened, another assignment from Persona?" he looked grim and slightly disgusted when he said the name. I nodded. **

**_"Natsume!"_**

**I looked towards the voice and saw Mikan.**

**"I'm so glad you were able to come to class! I was so worried!" she bubbled, "Where were you all this time?"**

**"It doesn't matter." I said, and putting my feet up on the desk and a book over my face, I closed my eyes to rest for a while.**

**As she walked away, I could hear her mumbling something about 'always so mysterious,' 'just want to help,' and 'never opens up.'**

**"****_Whatever…_****" I thought. But secretly, on the inside, I was smiling.**

As Mikan walked away from Natsume, she couldn't help grumbling. "He's always so mysterious. Why does he have to be such a loner? I just want to help." She sighed. "He _never_ opens up!"

But secretly, on the inside, she was smiling.

* * *

**A/N: hey guys! sorry it took me forever to upload the next chapter. i warned you though, i warned you! (on my profile) anywho, hope you don't mind that it's a short chapter. i like short chapters. so... there ya have it. and i'm sorry if i don't really stay true to how Natsume should act. for some strange reason, i just can't really handle him very well... **that doesn't sound wrong. **shut up Natsume, i'm trying.** sure, sure.** i am! ****_any_****way, yeah, just a heads up about Natsume, i'm not very good at writing him or whatever, so sorry if he seems... not very Natsume-ish. thanks for your patience and for reading (you're gonna need a lot of patience with me: i rarely update, as you can see).**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Mikan and others (first part): I will use this font during the time when Mikan is… well, just so I don't spoil anything, I'll use this when Mikan is simply herself.

**Natsume: when I use this font, it will be entirely from Natsume's point of view.**

_Mikan and others (second part): I will use this font when Mikan is not quite herself_

* * *

The week flew bye. Pretty soon it was Sunday again, and Mikan had plenty of free time on her hands. As she walked to breakfast, she tried to think of something to do, but the creative side of her brain seemed to be clogged, and she couldn't come up with anything.

As she walked to the cafeteria, she glanced out the window, looking at the gray clouds approaching.

"Looks like a storm is coming," she thought, and sighed. Rain wasn't her favorite thing in the world, but it was okay. She continued down the hallway, eager for some food and to be with her beloved friends.

After getting her food, she went and sat down at her usual table, which included Hotaru, Luka, Mindreader, Fox-Eye, and Sumire. From time to time, Anna and Nonoko would sit with them, but today they were sitting with some other friends.

"Hey, Hotaru, what are you doing with your free time?" Mikan asked, trying to get some ideas.

"I'm working on a new invention." She replied flatly.

"Oh, may I join you?"

"No. You'll only get in my way."

"Aw, I promise to be real good!"

"No." Hotaru went on eating.

"Humph," Mikan pouted. "What about you, Pres?"

"Homework; I've gotten behind."

"What? _You_? No way!" Mikan said incredulously.

"No, it's true." Pres said sadly.

"Okay then what about you?" Mikan asked, directing her question towards Fox-Eye.

"Same as Pres." He replied sheepishly.

"And you, Luka?" she asked, pityingly hopeful. "Going anywhere?"

"Uh, yes," he mumbled, glancing from side to side.

Mikan felt like a big rock had just plopped down in her stomach. She looked to Mindreader, her only hope. "What about you?"

"I'm going to check on the animals with Luka," he smiled.

"Mindreader!" Luka cried, blushing madly.

"Ooh, so you _that's_ where you were going, Luka." Mikan teased, forgetting her despair for the moment.

"No! No I'm not!" Luka protested, and left the table in a hurry.

"Hey, wait up!" Mindreader said, "I still want to go!" and hurried after him.

"Well, sounds like everyone's busy," Mikan moped, remembering her state of loneliness.

"Guess so," Hotaru stated, and left the table.

"Sorry, Mikan," Pres said, patting Mikan's shoulder before leaving.

Fox-Eye stood, saying, "I think I'll go see what Luka's doing…" then left as well, leaving Mikan all alone.

Sighing, she took care of her tray and slowly trudged back to her room, feeling very, very miserable.

By the time she had opened the door and flopped onto her bed, it had started to rain. As she lay there, listening to the rhythmic sound of rain falling on her window, she couldn't help but feel her eyelids droop and her mind start to wander. Pretty soon, she was fast asleep.

She jerked awake to a loud crash of thunder. Outside, the rain was falling in torrents. She went to the window and watched the gray storm clouds slowly drifting across the sky, jumping slightly at another clap of thunder. She looked out at the woods, wondering what poor animal would be caught out in _this_ kind of weather.

For a moment, she thought she saw a flash of yellow. Not really having much of anything else to do, she put on her rain coat and boots and headed out into the storm.

As she walked, the wind seemed to shove and push her around and more than once she almost fell into a puddle. Pretty soon, she found herself at the edge of the forest.

"Why am I even out here?" she grumbled to herself, hugging her coat close. "I'm not even sure I saw it. Ugh, I'm going back in-" She started, but stopped. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye, deep in the woods. Curious again, she took a few steps into the tall trees. Was there actually someone out there?

And then, all of a sudden, Luka was standing before her, panting and soaking wet.

"Luka, what are you doing here?" Mikan cried, "And in this weather?!"

"I was… walking back… from the animals…" Luka panted, "When all of a sudden, these two men… jumped out of the bushes at me! I don't know how they got in… or why no one noticed, but I know they're not supposed to be here! Some of the animals are fending them off, but it won't be long until they find us!"

Mikan could see fear in Luka's eyes, and she knew that this was really serious.

"Are Mindreader and Fox-eye okay?"

"Yes, they left about half an hour before I did. But we need to go, now! We need to run and tell a teacher or somebody-" Luka started, but there was a _crack_, and, his eyes rolling back, he crumpled to the ground.

Mikan half gasped half shrieked, her eyes going wide, and dropped down to her knees beside him.

"He's out cold," a deep, gravelly voice said, making Mikan jump. When she looked up, she was met with a huge, hulk of a man. He was tall and big with tousled black hair and steely eyes. A bat was clenched in the meaty fingers of his right hand. Another man, just as big, also with a bat, stepped up beside him.

"Looks like we got another one," he said, his voice as deep as thunder. He grinned, showing black and rotting teeth.

"All the more money," Gravel Voice smiled and spat, sending a glob of phlegm running down Mikan's face.

Her anger flaring, Mikan stood and screamed at the two men, "Get away from Luka! Don't you dare hurt him again, or I'll- I'll-!"

"Shut up," barked Thunder Voice as he reached down and hoisted a limp Luka onto his shoulder. "Hurry up and put her lights out. I'm tired of her whining."

"Sure thing," Gravel Voice said, and lunged at Mikan, raising his bat.

Mikan didn't even have time to cry out as the bat met with her temple, sending a shooting pain through her skull.

Stumbling back, she put her hand to the side of her head, feeling warm liquid run down her hand and arm, getting in her hair and eyes.

The man raised his bat to strike again, but just before the blow came, she thought she saw Natsume running toward her, calling her name, rage contorting his face; but she couldn't hear his voice. She could see his mouth moving, but she couldn't hear him; all she heard was the pounding of her heart in her ears.

All of a sudden, it was like time slowed down. Blood blurring her vision, she watched as Gravel Voice lifted his bat and brought it down. The bat contacted with her temple, ripping the gash even wider and sending more blood spurting down her face and neck. She didn't feel it at all, only a pounding, throbbing pressure in her head. She fell through the air, the world spinning, and hit the ground. Thunder Voice was running away with Luka as Gravel Voice hurriedly reached down for her. She felt his big hands under her back, and all of a sudden she was over his shoulder, staring down at his back. Blood rushed to her head and fell in drops to the ground and onto his coat. Her head ached with the pressure.

A word, stuck in her heart and mind, fluttered to her mouth and onto her lips as the seething darkness infested and overtook her thoughts.

"_Natsu…me…_" she choked, and then it was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Mikan and others (first part): I will use this font for when Mikan is normal

**Natsume: when I use this font, it will be entirely from Natsume's point of view.**

_Mikan and others (second part): I will use this font for when Mikan is not normal_

**Hey guys! I just thought that I should ****_finally_**** upload the next chapter. *sorry about the wait! So… here you go! **J** Also, I wanted to say thank you so much to SoraSkyward, AnimeMango, Amneslie, Ryo-Ohki fan, ForeverAngelz, HeartArcFanasy21, Hippi shelly, Sariko-chan723, Satomi-chi, Tayamina-san Mai, girltiger1011, Amari Mizuki, Chocacho, Emeraldity123, Miss Evana, NatsuXHentai, XXAnimeXGeekXX, cenndderalla, felixkawaii, and last but not least, ilokero31, for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews! (Whew, that was a lot) I am so grateful ;_; 3 3 thank you guys, so much. It really means a lot.** **Okay, on with the story! End A/N**

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_"Mikan…" _

_…_

_…._

_…_

_"Mikan!"_

_…_

_…._

_…_

_"MIKAN!"_

_Mikan's eyes snapped open._

_"Who? What? Where?" she asked, whipping her head around, confused and groggy. The voice, which had brought her from sleep, laughed slightly. She rubbed her eyes with her fists, her vision blurry. A smudge stood in front of her._

_"What's going… on…?" Mikan wondered aloud, yawning, her voice sounding like it was behind a wall of cotton._

_"Come on Mikan, it's time to get up!" the voice said again. She felt a small tug on her sleeve. _

_Mikan ground her palms into her eyelids. "Go away, blurriness!" She thought, and blinked several times as her vision slowly began to clear._

_"Come on, sleepy head," the voice grinned._

_Mikan looked up to see Hotaru leaning down over her. She wore a plain white T-shirt and shorts; her feet were bare. Mikan looked down at herself to find that she was clad in the same outfit as her friend._

_They were standing (well, Hotaru was standing, Mikan was lying down) on a small, grassy hill. The sky above was a beautiful blue, specked with a few wispy clouds that slid across its wide expansions like your hand would over silk. Birds chirruped and danced in the air, a happy little orchestra singing and dancing to their own little sonata. A warm breeze blew, caressing Mikan's face and making her and Hotaru's hair wave in the wind._

_Mikan sat up and brushed her hands across the earth, feeling the warm, lush grass beneath. Down below was a never ending sea of green freckled with white flowers. Children in white ran and played, and you could hear their faint laughter._

_"The sky sure is pretty, huh?" Mikan smiled, and looked up at Hotaru, who was no longer bent over but had her head tilted down slightly to look at Mikan. Hotaru smiled, her black hair shining in the light, her purple eyes warm and happy._

_She held out her hand and Mikan grasped it._

_"Mikan…?" Hotaru said in astonishment as she saw several nurses rush a gurney with her friend on it to the hospital doors. It was pure chance that she was at the hospital right now; she had just felt like stretching her legs, and her feet had led her here._

_ "Mikan!" She cried, running alongside the gurney and through the white doors. "What happened, what's going on?!"_

_"Please step aside," a nurse said sternly._

_"MIKAN!" Tears started to fill Hotaru's eyes as she looked down at Mikan's pale face, blood soaking through the makeshift bandage on her head._

_Mikan opened her eyes._

_"Wh-who…? What…? Wh-ere…?" she choked, trying to look around. She was confused and groggy. Hotaru made a slight sobbing sound. _

_Mikan brought her hands up to her face, trying to wipe away the blood from her eyes._

_"What's going… on…?" Mikan garbled._

_"Mikan, you're going to be okay!" Hotaru said, starting to cry. The nurses turned a sharp corner and Hotaru, not wanting to leave Mikan for an instant, latched a hand onto Mikan's sleeve._

_Mikan, seeming not to realize at all what was happening, pulled away from Hotaru's grasp and ground her palms into her eyelids, blinking several times. A nurse pulled her hands away from her face and set them by her sides._

_"Girl, if you're not going to leave then make sure she doesn't touch her head," a nurse grunted._

_Hotaru leaned down over Mikan, meeting her eyes for a moment before Mikan turned her gaze unknowingly away._

_Mikan tried to sit up, but Hotaru gently pushed her back down. Mikan slowly ran her hands across the gurney sheets, back and forth, over and over._

_She looked up at Hotaru again, who leaned in closer. The white lights of the hospital shone down on Hotaru's black hair, making it shine. Her purple eyes were filled with tears._

_"The sky sure is pretty, huh?" Mikan asked dazedly, her voice slurring._

_"You can't go any further," a nurse demanded as they pushed Mikan through a door and away from Hotaru._

_"_No…!_" Hotaru whispered, but to her it was a scream._

_She stood there for a few moments and then started to trudge back down the maze of halls she hadn't realized she'd followed the gurney down, absentmindedly wiping her eyes. She would have been lost except for the map of the hospital they had put in the student hand book (which she had memorized; you never know what you can get money out of), but right now she didn't care if she got lost at all. She kind of wished she _could_ get lost._

_She started wandering the halls. She was surprised at how numb someone could feel. It was like she had completely left her body, or her body had completely left her, and all that was left was a dry, dead husk of the Hotaru that everyone once knew. Hotaru's light had gone out._

_As she walked past one open door, she just so happened to glance in. Natsume was sitting there on the bed inside._

_"What are you doing here?" Hotaru hadn't realized she'd said it out loud until he replied._

_"They wanted to check and make sure I was okay. The idiots are too stupid to see that I'm just fine. A nurse said she'd be back in a few minutes but it's been more like 20," he said, anger in his voice, but Hotaru had a feeling it wasn't about how annoying the hospital staff was._

_"Do you know what happened?" Hotaru asked numbly, taking a few steps into the room. "With Mikan, I mean."_

_Natsume grunted and looked down at the floor. "Yes."_

_Mikan and Hotaru stood in the cool grass at the top of the slope, hand in hand, the sun warming their backs. The lush green vegetation grew a little over their ankles, and it tickled her feet when the wind blew. She looked around, seeing nothing but oceans of flowers and grass for miles and miles. Not another hill was in sight; it was completely flat except for where the two girls were standing. Mikan looked down at the people below, still running and playing._

_Hotaru smiled. "Let's go," she said, and they ran down the hill, laughing and giggling._

_"Hey!" Mikan squealed in delight once at the bottom. "There's Natsume! Oh, and Luka, too! And Pres! And Sumire, and Mindreader, and Fox-Eye… even Narumi-sensei. There's Tsubasa-senpai and Misaki-senpai as well! _Everyone_ is here!"*_

_She was met with a chorus of "hello's" and "hey's" and "what took you so long's?" etc. Mikan beamed at everyone, thrilled to be with all of her friends._

_"Let's play a game," Nobara-chan suggested, and everybody readily agreed._

_"What should we play, though?" Tono asked, and Yo-chan cooed in agreement._

_"I think we should play Daruma-san ga Koronda!" Kaname suggested. __**(Look to the bottom for the website explaining what that is)**_

_"No, let's play something else. We already did that," Anna said._

_"What else then?" Nonoko wondered out loud._

_"I think we should just play tag," Mindreader said with Fox-Eye agreeing._

_They all looked to Mikan for her opinion._

_"Tag it is!" she smiled, and the game commenced._

_No one spoke in Mikan's hospital room. They sat, Hotaru in a chair on Mikan's right, Luka on the left, and Natsume leaning against the wall, waiting for Mikan to open her eyes, for her to wake up, for everything to be all right. Hotaru's head lay on the white, slightly scratchy sheets of Mikan's bed, holding her friend's small, pale hand. She hadn't spoken since three days ago, the time when Natsume had explained to her just what had happened. She had become completely mute. And aside from the ticking of the clock on the wall and the not unusual clatter from nurses, doctors, and patients from outside, the room was as silent as Hotaru._

_Natsume had arrived at the scene just when Mikan had lost consciousness. By the time the teachers had arrived, he had burned the two men to a crisp. Thankfully though he hadn't gotten Luka or Mikan scorched too badly, and they were healing fairly easily from the minor burns. Mikan and Luka were immediately whisked away to the hospital, and the kidnappers were taken care of appropriately. The hole in the force field was closed, and in a couple of hours you wouldn't even have guessed there had been a break in. Luka faired with only a minor concussion and a big lump on the back of his head, and actually woke up right after the whole ordeal was over. Though he hasn't been allowed to go back to his classes quite yet, he has able to walk around the hospital without getting dizzy. And while Luka's road to recovery seemed a short and easy one, Mikan's didn't seem quite so simple._

_They had taken her straight to surgery once they had arrived at the hospital, the gash in her temple requiring more than 15 stitches. After the long process had been completed, the doctors did some tests and assured Narumi-sensei who then told the class that she would be just fine once she was out of the coma. It was only to last about several days, and those days were now running low. Mikan's friends were eager to see her return._

_Mikan sighed, attracting the eyes of the three worried people in the small room._

_"Guys, I think she's finally coming around!" Luka said, his heart soaring with an overwhelming relief. There were a few moments of utter silence, filled only with Mikan's quiet breathing. Her legs and toes twitched slightly, but she did not awaken. Luka leaned back in his chair, disheartened, as Hotaru laid her head back down. A nurse bustled inside, breaking the silence, and said that visiting hours were now over. Luka stood to leave but stopped when Hotaru did not follow. He slipped over to her and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. She stood reluctantly, gripping Mikan's still hand a moment longer, then let Luka lead her out of the room, Natsume bringing up the rear. The door closed behind them with a soft click._

_The three visited every day for the next week, frequented often with other classmates and close friends of Mikan. The hospital staff soon had to put a limit on how many people could be in the room at one time._

_Out of the class Hotaru seemed to be taking it the worst. She still said nothing to no one, sometimes not even responding to the gentlest of taps or gestures. Natsume came in second with being angrier and more ornery and skipping classes frequently. Luka was third. Even though he did worry greatly for Mikan, he still tried to get to class and do his homework, but still showed some stress from it all by sometimes skipping classes with Natsume._

_The days dragged on, and the doctors became more worried about Mikan's failing condition. She seemed to be growing weaker every day and she had not once woken from her coma. Some of Mikan's less faithful classmates, not including Sumire, started to doubt if she'd ever wake up again. Hotaru did not heed their words, but silently kept hoping that she would be able see her friend again._

_"Oh Mikan," Hotaru thought, "Where are you? Where have you gone? Have you escaped to the recesses of your mind, or are you lost in it? Please, Mikan, come back soon."_

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**A/N: well, thar ya be, the next chapter! Hope you liked it. Also, something you can do (if you want) is go back and forth between Mikan's delusions and the real world to find the similarities (and dissimilarities). What I did there was I just copied Mikan's interpretation and pasted it down below and went through it, changing certain words, what Hotaru said, and other stuff (don't know why you needed to know that…). Oh, here's the website for that Japanese game I mentioned before: wiki/Daruma_san_Ga_Koronda.** **Anywho, I seriously hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and all that jazz :D**

***By the way, when Mikan says "everyone," I really mean everyone, not just the people I listed: I mean every one of the people she met at the Academy that would be considered her friend. The reason I ****_didn't_**** list everyone is because that would get super boring and monotonous.**


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